Beacon of repression

Flashing lights on VIP cars are a symbol
of a false sense of superiority

The prime minister has decided to put an end to the use of red beacons atop cars. It was an issue that was agitating a large number of public-spirited persons. Harish Salve, a leading lawyer, had filed a public interes litigation seeking a ban on their use. The red beacon had begun to symptomise the unpleasant face of the ‘Raj’. It was no less than the imperial British administration creating a divide between them and the lesser mortal – the ‘Indian’.

It had become the proverbial red rag to the bull. The sight of a red beacon vehicle created a feeling of revulsion among the public. A vehicle speeding down congested roads in metropolitan cities with police vehicles sporting blue beacons has become such a common sight. They specialise in jumping red lights much to the chagrin of fellow motorists.

If you do not give them a pass, you run the risk of facing the ire of the khaki-clad in their cavalcade, who excel in unbecoming gestures, and may even land a danda on your bonnet. After all, is it more important for these VIPs than what you and I would have set out to do? Even if it was, they could have stepped out a few minutes earlier.

Read the full article in 'Viva Goa' magazine copy.Viva Goa magazine is now on stands. Available at all major book stalls and supermarkets in Goa.